At 1949 lb, the Lotus Elise Cup 250 remains true to the company's founder, Colin Chapman, to "add lightness". The low weight comes in incorporating carbon fibers, titanium and aluminum parts as needed. Other lightweight features include a lithium-ion battery, carbon racing seats and a polycarbonate rear screen. An optional titanium exhaust system will shave an additional 16 lbs of the total.

Combined with a fully alloyed and supercharged alloy of 1.8-liter in-line 4, bringing 245 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, the car is capable of 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Although this is a respectable number, Lotus has always been less about the absolute performance statistics and more on a minimalist approach to performance that paid dividends in the race and made its cars an absolute pleasure to drive .

The body changes for the 2018 LotusElise Cup 250 include a new lightweight front panel with a mesh pattern grid and wider openings for better cooling, a front divider, bargeboards, a rear diffuser and a rear fender. The 2018 Lotus also features unique ultra light forged wheels with 195/50 tires at the front and 225/45 at the rear.